After dropping four of their last five games, the team's once-healthy grip on the NFC North lead has vanished. The Bears are banged-up, and their best football was played months ago, but Lovie doesn't see it that way.

"A lot of teams would like to be in the position we're in right now, believe me ... in the playoffs right now, and all you have to do is win three football games," Smith told the Chicago Tribune. "Most guys would take that.

"So again, don't feel sorry for the Chicago Bears. We're in great shape. No, we're not going to get rid of any coaches and we're going to try to keep as many of our players as we possibly can and we're going to win some football games."

Winning one on Sunday would help. That's when the Green Bay Packers come to town for a game that will go a long way toward deciding the fate of a division that, just weeks ago, was in the Bears' control.